Adding vanilla

[colinjh]

Hi all

I am very new to brewing, have made a IPA using a brewhouse kit which turned out quite well. I have started one of their winterfest kits and would like to add a vanilla bean when I put it into the secondary. My question is about how much to add. It is a five gal batch so should I use a whole vanilla bean?

My plan so far is to soak the bean over night in vodka and add it to the secondary with about a week to ten days to go, is that reasonable? Should I add the vodka that the bean was soaking in as well?

Thanks for any advice

Colin

 

[FastAndy]

I've used vanilla in stouts before, depending on how much vanilla you want to shine through one bean may not be enough. I soak 2 beans split down the length of the bean in a cup of scotch for a few days then add the beans and scotch to secondary for 3 days. 2 beans are strong enough to be mild in a stout if that helps ypu gauge how much to use.

Cheers!

 

[Weizenheimer]

I'd go with 2 beans (split/gutted and vodka soaked) and start tasting in the 2ndary after about 4 days. The longer the beers stays on the beans the more vanilla taste. Rack through a sanitized nylon hopping bag to make sure you leave the beans behind.

 

[jmlabeck]

Or, you could toss about a tablespoon of vanilla extract into the primary. That would give a detectable taste.

 

[kosmokramer]

I eyeballed about an ounce of extraction. In a boubon porter and it tastes great

 

[geer537]

Or, you could toss about a tablespoon of vanilla extract into the primary. That would give a detectable taste.

+1 to the extract. You'll get a more consistent flavor this way. Beans are great but the extract is the same strength every time. Start with about 1/2 tbl spoon and taste after 4 days as someone suggested. Increase if you need. I have found that 1 tblspoon is perfect for a vanilla porter. Make sure to use an alcohol based extract.

 

[TyTanium]

You can start soaking the vanilla bean now - more time for extraction from the bean. Definitely add the vodka! That's why you soaked in vodka - to start extracting flavors from the bean.

Also, you can always bump it up with pure vanilla extract on bottling day if its not enough.

EDIT: I'll add another +1 for extract. Easier & more consistent, and essentially the same product - that's how they make the extract, by soaking beans in alcohol. Also, as geer537 said, it's gotta be pure, alcohol based - none of the fake vanillan stuff. Many on the forums on here suggest using a few tablespoons - 2-4 oz for a 5g batch. Obviously the bigger/roastier the beer, the more you need. I'll also second the the start small and add more concept.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

If one were to add vanilla extract could it be added to the primary after cooling or must it go into a secondary?

 

[fifthcircle]

I have a question to add. I have a jar of vanilla bourbon cherries (20% abv). I am looking to add some to my 5gal batch of stout at secondary time. Do I include a few cherries, or not? The juice tastes mostly of bourbon, with a slight vanilla. No cherry flavor unless you eat one. Not sure I want the cherry flavor to come through or not..... Opinions?

 

[bowiefan]

I'll add that it also depends on how long you plan on this beer being around. Most spices fade within a few months and vanilla will mellow some, but it does not fade as much as most spices or coffee. I have a vanilla coffee stout that has earned multiple gold, I. Find that 2 beans cut scraped and soaked in vodka is right if I am going to be drinking it young, but if I am going to cellar the batch 6months or more, I only use one and the vanilla comes foreward with age.

Ben

 

[TyTanium]

If one were to add vanilla extract could it be added to the primary after cooling or must it go into a secondary?

I would add after primary fermentation is complete. Active fermentation is violent and delicate aromas/essential oils get destroyed/blown off/vaporized. I've never done a side by side, but this seems to be consensus.

You could probably add to primary once activity slows and you're close to or at your target gravity. I've not tried this either as I've typically added vanilla AND oak, and oak doesn't do any good if its buried by yeast/trub, so I rack to secondary.

 

[medusa1066]

What are everyone's thoughts on Vanilla extract in the bottling Bucket?

 

[TyTanium]

I view it as a adjustment option.

I add just shy of amount I think I want when I rack to secondary. That way on bottling day, I have the option to add more if it's not enough. I think it's easier than adding it all on bottling day and nailing your flavor - which requires sitrring, sampling, more stirring, more sampling

 

[Taypo]

We used 2 beans in secondary for a couple weeks in a porter along with a couple cups of bourbon and some oak chips , then went to extract in the bottling bucket to bring the vanilla taste up. We went pretty heavy on the vanilla for a nice sweet holiday beer. Been bottled for about 6 weeks now, and its starting to round out quite nicely.

 

[nateayoung]

I'll add that it also depends on how long you plan on this beer being around. Most spices fade within a few months and vanilla will mellow some, but it does not fade as much as most spices or coffee. I have a vanilla coffee stout that has earned multiple gold, I. Find that 2 beans cut scraped and soaked in vodka is right if I am going to be drinking it young, but if I am going to cellar the batch 6months or more, I only use one and the vanilla comes foreward with age.

Ben

How about sharing that vanilla coffee stout recipe Ben?

 

[RIC0]

I found 1 whole bean split was enough for my oatmeal stout and not to much vanilla flavor but I wanted a hint not a vanilla shake.

 

[KeystoneHomebrew]

One bean is typically enough, but I do have something to add. Make sure you sanitize that bean in vodka! Me and 6 friends brewed 55 gallons of Denny Cohn's Bourbon Vanilla Porter, then aged it in a bourbon barrel. One guy didn't sanitize his beans, and it turned the entire barrel.

Thankfully, about 3 years later it was the best sour Porter I've ever had!

 

[Miles_J]

Using what I've learned here I'm opting for 2 beans in a whipped" vodka "it's all I had come brew day to start my beans in (Madagascar vanilla bean for even balance of aroma and taste) but I'm brewing a chocolate stout attempting to smooth some of the more bitter notes of the chocolate.. trying for a creamy taste and mouth feel.... umm hot coco in a frosty mug just in time for the winter... and many next..

 

[unionrdr]

I soak 2 scraped & cut beans in an ounce or two of vodka during primary. Then strain it into the priming solution on bottling day. Good flavor in my robust porter.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

I'm sure I'll be slammed for this... but I didn't soak my beans before adding to primary.. I also didn't split them.. They were in a sealed "Cigar tube" style vessel and were of the highest quality Vanilla. Anyone do this before? any possible infections i should prepare for? They were really "Juicy" looking.. too!. I used a starter so fermentation was off and running within 3 hours of pitching..

 

[unionrdr]

You added them during primary fermentation whole? Not gonna get much outta that, m8.

 

[PatrickLS83]

I always use vanilla extract, never used real beans. For any holiday style beers that calls for vanilla I do 1-2 tsp of extract in the boil at flameout and maybe 1 tsp during kegging/bottling. That's about all the vanilla I want to show through. You can taste it, just keep in mind your darker beers like porters and stouts that have more roasted flavors will cover up the vanilla more than ambers or copper beers. I've never tried vanilla in an IPA, but I assume the hops would help cover the vanilla. General rule of thumb, less is more. Do a 5 gallon batch with less vanilla than you're thinking and if it's not enough then bump it up with the next batch. Start with teaspoons instead of tablespoons. It's super easy to over-spice a beer.

 

[A2HB]

Just brewed an oatmeal stout yesterday and was contemplating adding a few vanilla beans in a few weeks. This thread helps me narrow down how much I think I'll want, thanks for the tips

 

[Taubin]

Thanks for this, I've been considering a vanilla java porter for a while, just haven't known how to go about it. Sounds like this may be the way to go with a nice porter recipe and just add some ground coffee and vanilla in primary (I don't secondary) at the end of fermentation.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

You added them during primary fermentation whole? Not gonna get much outta that, m8.

So I was able to taste this after 2 weeks.. and maybe its was the quality of my vanilla beans but man oh man.. vanilla in the nose.. not "vanilla" as in vanilla but the earthiness you get from the bean.. really nice... so in actuality your right I didn't get "vanilla" but I got vanilla... Exactly what I was looking for. Cant wait to keg and throw this thru my nitro tap.